SGU Episode 373
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| SGU Episode 373 |
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| 8th September 2012 |
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| (brief caption for the episode icon) |
| Skeptical Rogues |
| S: Steven Novella |
B: Bob Novella |
R: Rebecca Watson |
J: Jay Novella |
E: Evan Bernstein |
| Guest |
BW: Billy West |
| Quote of the Week |
All superstition is much the same whether it be that of astrology, dreams, omen, retributive judgment, or the like, in all of which the deluded believers observe events which are fulfilled, but neglect and pass over their failure, though it be much more common. |
Francis Bacon |
| Links |
| Download Podcast |
| SGU Podcast archive |
| Forum Discussion |
Introduction
BW: Good news everyone! You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your home for this sort of thing.
S: Hello and welcome to Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
(Cheers)
S: Today is Saturday September 1st 2012, and this is your host Steven Novella. Joining me this week are Bob Novella:
B: Hey Everybody
S: Rebecca Watson:
R: Hello everyone.
S: Jay Novella:
J: Hey guys!
S: And Evan Burnstein:
E: Hello DragonCon
S: How is everyone doing today?
R: Aws...super, We didn't ask you!
J: Super thanks for asking.
R: I love, I love how the audience was like "We're great, Thank you Steve"
This Day in Skepticism (1:05)
- September 8, 1966 - First Trek Episode Airs
S: Well Rebecca, tell us about September 8th in history
R: Yes, uh, that's a week from now for those of you who are here at the live show. Those of you who are listening on the podcast it is September 8th. Uh... and today in 1966 the first Star Track (sic) appeared.
B: Wait, did you say "track"? Trek! Trek!
R: So easy, it's so easy.
(laughter)
R: uh yes
J: Not to get too ... pendantic (sic) but was it the cage? or was...
R: Did you say...?
B: Pedantic
J: Pedantic, whatever!
R: You know what a pendant I am but...
S: Pendant.
J: Its amazing what alcohol can make you do about caring. Anyway. um... Was it the cage or was...was...I always con...
S: Regular...Regular Series
R: It was...It was the original series and it was not the pilot with Christopher Pike. Uh...it was the first regular show of the series.
J: With Captain Kirk
B: Where no man has gone before.
J: The man trap!
B: No! Where no man has gone before.
R: The man trap?! Is that what it was called?
J: I think it was.
R: The man trap!
E: Does anyone know?
J: The second episode was called: she's got big tits.
(laughter)
E: Oh I saw that one.
R: Steve is going to do so much editing of this. You guys don't even know.
S: That one wouldn't make it to air? I thought I would have remembered that one.
R: The man trap...
S: Not a big...Not a big Star Trek showing in the parade today, I was a little disappointed, I mean is the franchise on the wane? What do you guys think?
J: Noo! The wane...
E: Bite your tongue
S: I don't know... I mean they...they rebooted but...uh..
B: Where is that sequel?
S: Yeah, when are we gonna see that second movie
B: Where is that sequel?
R: It's comin'
S: So is Christmas. That doesn't....That doesn't even work, that joke doesn't even work for that.
S: We're going to do some quick quick news items for today:
B: Quick?
News Items
Blue Moon Lunacy (2:54)
Bigfoot News (7:31)
Negative Replication of Psi (12:04)
Baldness Cure (17:06)
Little Mass from Higgs (25:15)
UFO Over Illuminati Castle (31:19)
Interview with Billy West (34:01)
- Talented voice actor Billy West, who does the voices of Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Renn and Stimpy, and other.
Science or Fiction (42:56)
- Item number one. Scientists have discovered Western Scrub Jays performing a funeral-like behavior when they discover one of their members has died. Item number two. A recent study finds that adults are more likely to accept a supernatural explanation than children. Item number three. Researchers find that the shape of the glass affects how drunk alcohol-drinkers become.
SGU FAQ (55:56)
- Frequently asked questions at live events.
S: All right; we'll move on. We're going to do some Q&A in the remaining few minutes that we have, but every time we do a Q&A, we get the same feedback that we get the same questions over and over again. And it's kinda true; of course, people—there's the frequently asked questions and we don't want to answer the same ones over and over again. So we're going to get those out of the way really quickly first. We're just going to go over—these are the top questions we always get; we'll give you the answer very quickly, that way you can ask questions that we don't typically get.
R: You're not making this quick! Just go!
How do I get a person I know to stop using pseudo-science? (56:26)
S: OK. So, the first one: "how do I get my mom/sister/friend/co-worker/whatever to stop using homeopathy/ear candles/acupuncture/whatever?" Right. "How do I get my person I know to stop using pseudo-science—"
R: Here's what you gotta do: you gotta plant the seed in their brain; you're not gonna win the argument face to face in the argument; you're not gonna win, just give them a little seed of logic. Be nice to them, respect their beliefs, you know. Be nice. And also encourage them to see their doctor if they have some actual illness. Yes, they can go to the homeopath but also go get the chemo. Next.
How do you record the show? (57:04)
S: Right. Next: "How do you record the show?" Skype, Audacity, we're all in separate locations.
How does Steve do it all? (57:10)
S: "How does Steve do it all?" Hard work, time management, saint for a wife, I have clones, performance-enhancing drugs, and I take credit for other people's work.
R: Yes.
(laughter and applause)
Are the skeptics winning? (57:27)
S: All right. "Are we skeptics winning?" Jay, what do you think?
J: No.
(laughter)
J: Oh, sorry.
What podcasts, books, news sites do you recommend? (57:35)
S: "What podcasts/books/news sites do you recommend?" The SGU is all you need.
(laughter)
R: One-stop shop, everybody.
Why do X-ray astronomers and optical astronomers disagree with regard to the Butcher-Oemler Effect? (57:48)
S: We'll take care of the details for you; don't worry about it. OK, this is—I get this all the time: "Why do X-ray astronomers and optical astronomers disagree with regard to the Butcher-Olmer[sic] effect—"
J: I get so tired of this question.
R: Stop asking this question. Stop it.
S: Because the magnitude of galaxy harassment is proportional to galaxy cluster R-20 radius.
R: OK? OK?
E: Duh!
B: It's so obvious. Come on.
R: Deal with it.
Is that Rebecca's real hair color? (58:11)
S: "Is that Rebecca's real hair color?"
R: The answer to that is actually no, I'm bald but I've been taking a lotion thing that I've been rubbing on my head. This is—
S: It's a side effect of the PGD2 receptor—
R: This is the color that pops out of the lotion.
Is that really Bob's naked butt? (58:26)
S: Yeah. "Was that really Bob's naked butt?"
(whooping)
R: I believe that "hell yeah, woo!" is the actual correct answer, yeah.
S: Hell yeah it was. Yeah, hell yeah, it was is correct.
(laughter and applause)
How do you guys stay so totally awesome? (58:43)
S: All right. I think we have just one more. "How do you guys stay so totally awesome?"
R: I know! Stop asking us! Jesus!
J: Buy a [deleted] T-shirt. Shit costs us money.
Live Q&A
Bigfoot incident (58:58)
Scientific literacy and the paranormal track (59:19)
How long before we see more Occ? (1:00:36)
Homeopath pharmacist (1:01:10)
- What to do when your pharmacist recommend homeopathy?
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (1:01:50)
- Is it real?
Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:02:50)
All superstition is much the same whether it be that of astrology, dreams, omen, retributive judgment, or the like, in all of which the deluded believers observe events which are fulfilled, but neglect and pass over their failure, though it be much more common.
Francis Bacon, Novum Organum, 1620
References
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